The Chinese tea ceremony is conducted on the day of the wedding and sees the bride and groom serve tea to their parents, in-laws, and other family members. Symbolizing the union of two families, it is a meaningful part of the day, typically taking place inside the couple's respective family homes. Thank you to Andrew & Cindy Phong for sharing the photos of their tea ceremony with us.
- It’s usual for the bride and groom to do 2 tea ceremonies, first at the bride’s parents’ house, then the groom’s parents’ house.
- To start the festivities, the groom and his groomsmen formally arrive at the bride’s family house and bring gifts of food, gifts, red envelopes, etc. Then they are hazed by the bridesmaids/family with fun/entertaining games and tests. For example, having the groom answer trivia on how well he knows the bride, make the groom and his men do funny dances or try weird foods and have them do funny games/tasks with each other before coming into the house.
- As a part of the ceremony, the parents, aunts and uncles, and grandparents that participate in the tea ceremony pass red gift envelopes with money and gold jewelry such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, etc. After the wedding, the jewelry is then put in a safe place, like a safe deposit box and not generally used again until they are given away to their future children at their wedding.
- Tea is always served during the ceremony, but sometimes something to eat is also given to the parents, elders, anyone else on the receiving end.
- After the ceremonies, it’s customary for the families to eat a large meal together.
- Kneeling is traditional, but not always done that way. Standing has become common.
